Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch dead at age 47

Adam Yauch, a member of the seminal hip-hop trio the Beastie Boys, has died, according to multiple media reports. He was 47.

The Brooklyn-born musician known as MCA was first treated for cancerous growths in his parotid gland and a lymph node in 2009 and underwent surgery and radiation therapy, which forced the delay of the Beastie Boys' most recent album, "Hot Sauce Committee Part Two."

Yauch helped form the group in high school, aiming to create a hardcore band influenced by the likes of Black Flag. With the addition of Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock), the crew put together a song called "Cookie Puss," which became a sensation in New York's underground dance scene and helped build the group's reputation for blending humor and hip-hop.

In 1986, the Beastie Boys released the crossover smash "Licensed to Ill," the first hip-hop album to top the Billboard album chart. The band's success was powered by the MTV hit "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)." a song that would forever mark the group's identity.

At the recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Beastie Boys Ad-Rock and Mike D read a letter from Yauch thanking both his bandmates and fans: "I'd like to dedicate this to my brothers Adam and Mike," he wrote. "They walked the globe with me. It's also for anyone who has ever been touched by our band. This induction is as much ours as it is yours."